


make the season bright

by perfectlyrose



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Christmas Party, F/M, Fluff, Found Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-21 21:05:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13152030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perfectlyrose/pseuds/perfectlyrose
Summary: Rose has a surprise for the Doctor for Christmas that everyone is in on except him.





	make the season bright

**Author's Note:**

> For thegirlwithsilvereyes as part of the dwsecretsanta 2017 event
> 
> Merry Christmas!

“You about ready?” Rose asked, trailing her fingers along the corridor wall as she addressed the ship. They’d been planning for ages and now it was almost time to bring everything together.

The TARDIS chimed at her, an emphatic  _ yes _ , and Rose grinned. 

“What trouble are the two of you getting into now?” The Doctor groused as he walked towards her. “I can feel the pair of you plotting something.”

Rose patted his chest and smiled up at him. “It’s a surprise.”

“Which usually means trouble.”

She tucked her tongue into the corner of her smile -- a distraction he should be used to after centuries but still was susceptible to -- and denied nothing.

“Incorrigible,” he muttered, not quite able to suppress his own smile.

“You love it,” Rose said, leaning up to quickly kiss him. “Now, go get changed. You’ll want to look nice for this surprise.”

“How nice?”

“Something without grease or jam stains.”

He grumbled a bit, stole another quick kiss and then headed towards their bedroom.

Rose made a beeline to the wardrobe room where she knew her outfit would be waiting. She quickly wiggled into the black dress and put on jewelry and a pair of red felt antlers before heading to the console room.

She pressed a few buttons and pulled the lever to send the TARDIS hurtling through the Vortex, knowing the ship would take her exactly where they needed to go. The ship had helped plan the whole thing after all, and was just as excited for all of this as Rose was.

The TARDIS landed softly and Rose patted the console in thanks before going to open the doors. She grinned as she caught sight of everyone waiting outside.

“Come on in! We’re all set up in the ballroom which should be the first room on the left,” she said, gesturing for people to come inside.

They trickled in, most stopping to give Rose a hug and say hello before heading in the direction Rose had indicated.

Rose pressed her lips together, peering into the room where everyone was supposed to have been waiting for the party. There were a couple of people still missing. She was just contemplating making a quick phone call when the wheezing, grinding noise of another TARDIS arriving filled the air.

She leaned in the doorway of her TARDIS and waited for the occupants to exit the diner’s door.

“You’re late,” she said, raising her eyebrows as Clara rushed out into the room. “Got a time machine and still can’t manage to make it on time.”

“Oh come on, we can’t be more than a couple minutes off. You know that’s better than the Doctor usually does,” Clara said.

“That’s true,” she conceded. “That’s why I was driving today.”

Clara laughed and pulled Rose in for a hug. “You tell him about the party yet?”

“Nope. It’s a surprise.”

“I can’t wait to see his face.”

Lady Me walked out of their TARDIS. “Sorry we’re late, Rose. Bill and Heather decided to hitch a ride.”

“Time machine,” Rose said with a raised eyebrow.

Me just shrugged, smirk playing at the corners of her lips. Bill and Heather spilled out of the TARDIS, giggling about something.

“You two are being blamed for the lot of you being late,” Rose told them.

“Not our fault,” Bill insisted. “We just hitched a ride so we could raid the wardrobe room for party clothes. If we didn’t have to look nice, Heather would have just brought us here herself.”

“I’m just teasing,” Rose said with a laugh. “You are about two minutes behind everyone.”

“Let’s get into the party, then!” Bill said. “Can’t let them get started without us!”

“First door on the left,” Rose told them. “I have to go get the Doctor.”

The four of them entered the TARDIS, closing the doors behind them. Lady Me was bickering quietly with Heather over the best ways to travel as they passed Rose and she just shook her head at them, having heard that particular argument a dozen times over. She walked them to the ballroom and then set off into the depths of the ship to find where the Doctor had disappeared to while the party started in their absence.

She found him in their room, fussing with the collar of his shirt as he glared at a selection of ties laid out on the bureau.

“Do I have to wear a tie for whatever this shindig is?” he asked, not breaking his stare. She was surprised the pieces of fabrie hadn’t fled, or at least wrinkled, in fear.

“No, but you do need your jacket,” Rose said, picking it up from the bed as she walked towards him. She held it up so he could shrug into it.

He turned to face her as he tugged it into place. “You look lovely,” he said, sweeping his eyes over her.

“Thank you,” she replied, leaning up to press a soft kiss to his lips. She knew he wasn’t the best at compliments this go round so she treasured each effort he made. “Are you ready? Everyone is waiting for us.”

“Everyone?”

“You’ll see,” Rose said, smile more than a shade coy.

“This have something to do with the fact that the TARDIS won’t tell me where we’ve landed?”

“Could do.”

“Ready as I’ll be without you telling me what’s going on.”

“It’s a good surprise, I promise,” she said. She laced her fingers with his and pulled him into the hallway to lead him to the party.

Rose stopped outside of the ballroom and smiled up at him. “Merry Christmas, Doctor,” she said, swinging the door open.

He froze in the doorway as he took in the scene in front of them. 

Ian and Barbara were in a conversation with Heather near the table with all the nibbles. Jack and Ianto were unsurprisingly stealing a kiss under the mistletoe. Lady Me was swapping stories with Madame Vastra and Jenny while Clara and Donna were chatting near the bar and Alistair was heading in their direction.

His eyes lit on Ace and Bill talking excitedly. “That looks like trouble,” he muttered.

“Aren’t we all?” she shot back, squeezing his hand. “Especially together.”

“How did you do all this?” he asked quietly, still surveying the room full of friends.

“The TARDIS helped make sure that it was possible and found a place everyone could meet so I could pick them up. I just planned the party and sent out the invitations.”

“Why do all of this?”

Rose met his eyes, read the insecurity behind those blue eyes. “Because it’s Christmas and Christmas is usually a time for family. I wanted us to spend it with the family we’d created. That alright? Because if it’s too much, I can make your excuses.”

“It’s perfect, Rose,” he said. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Thank you.”

“You’re quite welcome. Now get in there and say hello to everyone, they’re waiting for us to really start the party.”

“You going to let me play my guitar at some point?”

“Already hooked up to the amp,” she said with a grin.

“I’m going to have to find a better present for you,” he commented, smile forming on his face.

“I consider you coming to this party my present,” she said.

“Job done,” he said. He pulled on her hand and led them into the crowd of their family to celebrate the holiday season with them.


End file.
